Jul 2, 2008 12:40 pm US/Pacific
Vellanoweth: 'The Accident Was Unavoidable'
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) ―
-
-
Roberto Vellanoweth
CBS13
Roberto Vellanoweth, the political activist and former employee of the Governor's office that is facing charges of killing four people while driving drunk, took the stand today in his own defense.
Vellanoweth said his memory of the moments just before and after the crash on March 26, 2007 are fuzzy, and that's what the prosecution played on.
While on the stand, he testified that the crash he's accused of causing on South Land Park Drive was unavoidable. When told afterward at the hospital what had happened, he couldn't believe it.
"I said, 'What do you mean, four people are dead?'" Vellanoweth testified. He said that he had three martinis at the distillery in Sacramento, the first at 11:40 p.m. and the last at 2:30 a.m.
Vellanoweth's daughter and a doctor's nurse testified Wednesday as well, saying they talked to him that day and that he didn't appear impaired.
He tearfully testified that while driving on South Land Park Drive, he saw a car coming at him. Instead of braking or swerving to the side, he told the jury he had only enough time to think about accelerating, a defensive driving technique he says was taught while working as a state employee.
When asked why he chose to accelerate, Vellanoweth said he "will ask myself that till the day I die."
The prosecutor, who Vellanoweth seemed to frequently be frustrated with, stayed on point, saying, "You had enough time to think about accelerating, but didn't have enough time to put on the brakes?"
Vellanoweth said that was correct.
As Vellanoweth was testifying, one of the victims' mothers walked out of the courtroom in anger. Court will not be back in session until Monday, and closing arguments could begin then.
Vellanoweth's attorney is maintaining that his client was not drunk, although he reportedly tested well over the legal limit.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Comments